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Table of Contents

July 7, 2014

Being a Cubs fan has long been a unique challenge. Luckily we have Ernie Banks to show us how to handle the losing with grace and flair. Through all the futile seasons, he never forgot how lucky he was to be doing what he loved

He was an overstuffed teddy bear of a lineman whose colossal rear end became a John Madden obsession. But since spending 30 months in prison, the longtime Cowboy is a shell of the man he once was. And take it from his doctor: That's a good thing

She won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup title, and with retirement nearing, she was uncertain what to do next. Then the very injury that ended her career—and made life almost unbearable—gave her a new sense of purpose

The best high school running back ever became a college bust and a pro washout, then spent two decades wandering from job to job and place to place. So how did he become a happy rancher and energy entrepreneur?

The nickname he got in college seemed appropriate for a sweet-shooting, high-jumping scoring machine. When he failed to live up to it in the NBA—who could?—he felt ashamed. Yet for Baby Jordan, a brief pro career proved to be an enduring blessing

In the dawn of the sportscaster-as-celebrity era, he was an idiosyncratic pioneer with an infectious enthusiasm. His love of the game remains just as strong as he works to regain his place in America's living rooms